Although the days of bullies kicking sand into the faces of skinny weaklings are long gone, it’s still possible to feel self-conscious on the beach, especially when the Italian deckchair attendant starts winking at your missus. If you don’t want to set up a defensive perimeter with a garish windbreak and a lager moat, you need to put in the effort now and get a beach body to be proud of.

This three-part, 12-week whole-body plan will build new muscle, reduce body fat and increase your fitness. As well as that, recent research from the University of Illinois showed that working out three times a week for 40 minutes improves your memory, decision-making and attention span. So as a bonus, remembering which cocktail to order for your lady from the beach bar should be a no-brainer.

The three workouts here use your own bodyweight to burn calories, stabilise joints and prepare you for some serious hard work next month.

How to do this workout
Do workouts A, B and C once a week each, leaving at least one day’s
rest between each. Drink some carbohydrate or eat a banana 30 minutes before each workout to fuel your effort. Warm up by doing five minutes on a cardio machine, then do light sets of press-ups and bodyweight squats to raise your heart rate and get your muscles working. Leave one minute’s rest between sets and two minutes between exercises.